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!!! Warning !!! Paganism material inside. Do not enter without first praying on the full armor of God (Eph 6:11-18), the mantle of vengeance/zeal (Is 59:17) and the wall of fire (Zech2:5). All the praying won't make a difference if you have not been first scripturally baptized. What's wrong with the picture of pumpkins next to churches? Just a little fun, no harm, a bit of fall gayety. There is a whole lot what's wrong. This is a classic example of calling evil good and good evil (Is5:20). One would be called a party pooper, an outcast and potential trouble maker for denying the people a chance to have a little fun but they are doing such by "blessing/approving" Halloween, in effect calling evil good. What is all the hubbub about Halloween? Is it just an innocent fun and games or is there more to it? Hosea said that his people are destroyed by a lack of knowledge (Hos 4:6) so the purpose of this study is to give knowledge concerning Halloween. Halloween is derived from the druids in Ireland and is one of the 8 high unholy days of their satanic calendar. It is the beginning of the new year (for wiccans).

The 8 unholy high days with the day beginning at sunset: Samhain/Samhuinn: Oct 31-Nov2 Pagan: thought that time stood still, and the souls of the dead walked the land. "non"-Pagan: The day chosen to honor all the "hallowed" saints was first observed on the evening of May 13, and was known as All Hallows Festival. This festival was officially authorized in 835 AD by pope Gregory IV after it was moved to November 1 to coincide with the festival of Samhain. It began on the evening of Oct 31 which was called All Halloweds Eve. The ancient day of Halloween was when the sun reached 15 degrees of Scorpio (The Catholic church christened this day too as Martinmas)

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November 1 and 2 is also the day of the dead which falls in line with the Samhain pagan holiday and as expected has a death theme everywhere.

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a holiday celebrated in

Mexico and around the world in many cultures. The holiday focuses on

gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family

members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it attains

the quality of a National Holiday. The celebration takes place on November 1st

and 2nd, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All

Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2).

Traditions connected with the holiday include building

private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls,

marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting

graves with these as gifts.

Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous

observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated

to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl.

Alban Arthan: Dec 21 - winter solstice Pagan: shortest day of the year. In Roman customs 3-4 days after the winter sostice the day could be detected growing longer. 7 day Festival of Saturnalia (worship of the Sun god) would begin on Dec 25 and would end on Jan 1 (new year). Imbolc: Feb 2 Pagan: Pagan day begins at sunset so Imbolc begins sunset of Feb 1 to sunset of Feb 2 very coincidently ground hog day falls on this day. "non"-Pagan: Groundhog day Alban Eilir: March 21 - spring equinox Pagan: planting season Beltane: May 1 Pagan: Beginning of summer, end of planting season. Beginning of the season of war, and fires, big pagan wedding date. "non"-Pagan: May day. Celebrations, dancing around the may pole, big communist military parades in Russian. Labor party's thru out the world celebrate on this day. Alban Hefin: Jun 21 - summer solstice Pagan: Height of solar year. Pagan god is strongest at this time (weak and feeble next to Jesus) Lughnasadh: Aug 1 Pagan: festival of first harvest Alban Elfed: Sept 21 - fall equinox Pagan: Another chance for druids to perform human sacrifice

Some (all, in my opinion) Halloween traditions have pagan origins such as:

Bobbing for apples

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Pagan baptism called seining. Water filled tub (cauldron of regeneration) in which a novices head is immersed. Trick or treat Food was left outside for roaming ghost, with the hope that no harm would come to the household (ie. This was a bribe to the druids so they wouldn’t kidnap your child for human sacrifice) Bonefire Druids demanded human sacrifices. Children were made to stand in a large circle with marker stones, with a tall oak pole at the center. At sunrise, the shadow of the pole would fall upon a single child. This child was tied up and burned alive on a "bone-fire" (now bonfire), and the charred bones were buried under the stone marker. Given the 2 solstices and 2 equinoxes this stone circle with the oak pole shadows produce a familiar symbol: the 'peace' sign. This is one of the religious symbols of the Druids dating back at least 2200 years. Jack-o-lantern The fat left over from the child that was burned alive for sacrifice was fashioned into a candle and placed in a hallowed out vegetable with a round ('sun') shape. The victim was called the Jack-of-the-lantern. Dressing in Costumes In Scotland the traditions of costumes were men & women cross dressing. In other places dressing in costumes was to mingle in with the undead so they wouldn’t possess you. Death themes Tombstones, graveyards, spider webs, skeletons, undead zombies, ghost…. Need I say more? Death is a prevalent theme thru out Halloween. In Proverbs 8:36 it’s stated all who hate me love death. So if you love Halloween and the festivities around it – would that mean you hate Jesus? witchcraft Notice all the witches’ dark theme (witches, black cats, broom sticks). Many children and pets disappear, never to be seen again around this time – coincident with this unholy day? I think not. Look at all the witchcraft in the movies, books, tv (Harry Potter, Twilight, ……) Yellow ribbons Parents tied yellow ribbons around oak trees as prayers to the sun to have their children spared from the druids kidnappers. Iron cages Prisoners and unliked people were burned alive in wicker cages shaped in the form of animals, hung from trees. This was done to pay homage to the sun, Woden or Odin (the druid deity) – where we get Wednesday from. What does the bible say about Halloween? Both the old and new Testaments agree that witchcraft is a sin by the following verses: Should you help the wicked and thus bring the wrath of God against you (2 Chron 19:2) You shall not permit a sorceress to live (Ex22:18) Burning magic arts books (Acts 19:19) Jesus/Apostles casting out demons (Mk 5:8-14) Why would a Christian get involved in Halloween? Ignorance of what is approved and not approved in the bible (lack of personal bible study or preaching from the pulpit). Doesn’t believe demons exist or have any power over you. Demons do exist and they do have power. The power of the demons are evident by:

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- physical transportation of persons (Mt 4:5, Mt 4:8 ) - physical strength (Mk 5:1-4 Lk8:30 Legion was 6,000) - could withstand the Apostles (Mk 9:28-29) - could withstand an Angel from God (Dan 10:13, 20) Many people go to spiritualist to see what the future has in store for them – in essence going to see a fortune teller. The bible clearly states that the only person who can tell the future is God (Dan 2:10-11, Dan 2:27-28, Is 8:19-20, Is 48:3-6). The demons can influence present events to make it appear what they say will come to pass. The early Church leaders knew of this demonic power. Fake healings puff of these faith healers and give credentials that they are men of god. In the book “Dictionary of early Christian beliefs” (p203) states they recognize those charlatans for who they were: “Secretly creeping into human bodies with subtlety (as being spirits), they simulate diseases, alarm the mind and wrench about the limbs. They do this so that they may constrain men to worship them… by remitting what they had bound, they seem to have cured it”

- Mark Minucius Felix (c 200 w)

Rulers of the world consult demon possessed persons (magicians, astrologers). An example is found in Ezekiel where the King of Babylon used magicians to determine his actions: LVB Ezekiel 21:21-23 21 For the king of Babylon stands at a fork, uncertain whether to attack Jerusalem or Rabbah. He will call his magicians to use divination; they will cast lots by shaking arrows from the quiver; they will sacrifice to idols and inspect the liver of their sacrifice. 22 They will decide to turn toward Jerusalem! With battering rams they will go against the gates, shouting for the kill; they will build siege towers and make a hill against the walls to reach the top. 23 Jerusalem won't understand this treachery; how could the diviners make this terrible mistake? For Babylon is Judah's ally and has sworn to defend Jerusalem! But (the king of Babylon) will think only of the times the people rebelled. He will attack and defeat them. God’s people don’t know the mindset of the wicked. God’s people are called sheep and they expect everyone to act as a sheep. When a wolf or a dirty dog comes in among them and begins to devour them then they are confused and don’t know why the wolf/dog is acting that way. Moses fought against dark forces during the exodus in the wilderness. Moses fought against Amalek: RSV Exodus 17:10-16 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat upon it, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

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13 And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 And the Lord said to Moses, "Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord is my banner, 16 saying, "A hand upon the banner of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." Why did Moses have to lift up his hands? In the Book of Jasher, although not in the cannon, it does shed light into this battle, it states that Amalek fought with magicians and conjurers - witchcraft, demonology, curses... Book of Jasher 81:52-54 52 And when the children of Israel were in Rephidim, Amalek the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, the brother of Zepho, came to fight with Israel. 53 And he brought with him eight hundred and one thousand men, magicians and conjurers, and he prepared for battle with Israel in Rephidim. 54 And the children of Israel smote Amalek and his people at the edge of the sword, but the battle was very sore upon the children of Israel Israel won the battle but got bruised, beaten and many died. Moses had to fight using a weapon – his uplifted hands. Ps 134:2 and 1 Tim 2:8 speak about lifting up holy hands. This is one key spiritual weapon. Another time, another enemy tried to hire a curser to curse Israel. RSV Joshua 24:9-10 9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel; and he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I delivered you out of his hand. Balak hired a curser to curse Israel however an Angel stopped Balaam on the way and told him to say only what he was told (Num 22:23,35). If witchcraft and cursing were fake (doesn't impact reality) then an Angel would not have been sent to prevent Balaam from cursing Israel. In Modern times a classic example was a Time Magazine article on May 16, 1988 "Nancy Reagan regularly consulted a woman astrologer about the President's schedule… when the President of the U.S. would -- or would not -- hold press conferences, deliver speeches, journey abroad..." When one generation tolerates an evil act then the following generation always accepts it. The US has tolerated and now has accepted Halloween and all the festivities. Time and time again in the bible the end result of Israel tolerating then accepting then practicing Baal worship was to sacrifice (kill) their sons and daughters to Baal (Jer 7:31, Is 65:3-5) Witchcraft is not fun and games it’s deadly serious. All satan needs is a crack in the door to spring it open and take control (possess) a person.

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There are many ways and Halloween contains many opportunities since the movies, books and the entire entertainment industries show how innocent playing with fire is. Example is the Ouija board where a group of people communicate with a spirit (evil) by holding on a piece. They ask questions during a séance and the piece moves to spell out an answer. What people don’t realize is a demon is moving the piece and if it’s moving the piece with a person’s hands then they

are possessed and they don’t know it. This “game” is sold in toy stores everywhere. Once you allowed/welcomed a demon in then don’t expect it to leave when you want it to leave. Another demon opportunity is thru the eyes. The Harry Potter series, It has been said that if one watches all the movies and reads all the books then they would have an equivalent of 3 years of studying in witchcraft. One will know the various demon names, some chants and spells , terminology. The books have had a curse prayed upon them (some have said) and those reading it will get the curse attached to themselves and their house. How is it that schools encourage children to read a cursed demon filled book but prevent the bible from being read and used in the classroom? Obviously the schools have been taken over along with the government. Interest into witchcraft exploded after the Harry Potter movies came out. Web traffic tracking sites showed web surfing for witchcraft material exploded upwards. Harry Potter was a gateway movie that created interest into the occult. The twilight movies/books (written by a Mormon woman) kept the interest alive and grew it. The Catholic church has written articles that the request for priest who know exorcism is growing. Is it any wonder when people are dabbling in the occult? If a nation continues to follow and practice witchcraft then God will bring down judgment on the land to cleanse it from its wickedness. Has the US been increasing in blessings or has it been hit with curses? The below article show the popularity of Halloween increasing year by year. We have a choice, the same one during the days of Joshua. All must choose whether to serve Jesus or not (Josh 24:15, Jer 18:5-10) if you choose to reject Jesus then expect Jesus to respond with wrath against you (Josh 24:20). Jesus has a lot of weapons in his arsenal to use against a rebellious wicked people: whirling tempest, pestilence, sword, famine, captivity and fire (Jer 23:19, Jer 15:2-3, Jer 15:14) to get a nation’s attention. But will a nation wake up in time to repent? A remnant will, and will be saved (Rm 9:27) Halloween’s Pagan Themes Fill West’s Faith Vacuum: Amity Shlaes http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-20/halloween-s-pagan-themes-fill-west-s-faith-vacuum-amity-shlaes.html Seems like Americans just want it to be Halloween all year. The holiday just keeps getting more popular. Seven in 10 expect to celebrate it in some way this Oct. 31, up from about six in 10 last year, according to a National Retail Federation report. This is the most in the nine years the NRF has been tracking. In 2011, Americans are also planning to spend more than other years, an average of $72 each. Total outlays by consumers are expected to reach $6.86 billion this fall.

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Why the surge in popularity for an ancient harvest ritual? Some of the factors that account for it are as harmless and loveable as a new 12-pound pumpkin from the farm. Others have the capacity to spook. Start with the good that the holiday now demonstrates. Thirty or 40 years ago, Halloween seemed to offer only more evidence of the failures of our cities. There were plenty of neighborhoods -- Kenwood on Chicago’s South Side, Adams Morgan in Washington, and Midwood in New York spring to mind like ghouls -- where the night was best known for the opportunities it provided for muggers or for teen gangs to hurl those pumpkins against someone’s front door. “Newark Braces for Halloween,” read a 1967 New York Times headline over a nervous article describing riot-prevention measures, including street patrols by clergymen. Go farther back, before the 1940s, and Halloween had lethal connotations. In the Old South, “Mischief Night,” on Oct. 30, offered the Ku Klux Klan cover to put on their own costumes and wreak some of their worst damage. A mild example shows up in the 1960 novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” when on Halloween night a local gets revenge for lawyer Atticus Finch’s representation of a black man in court by attacking his son Jem and breaking his arm. Unifying Ghoulishness Today the same sidewalks and roads where the eggs were once thrown are often packed with cheerful trick-or- treaters. No doubt about it, in many places Halloween reflects urban revival. It also reflects a cultural coming together; there’s something comforting in knowing that, no matter what their background, kids will be equally terrified by a deluxe “predator mask with helmet” or a “whispers hooded mask,” to name two items on sale at Halloween websites this year. A child once told me he and his friends didn’t look at the mask; they looked at the eyeholes and wondered what was in there. There’s something unifying in the ghoulishness of the spaces between the teeth in the carved pumpkin’s grin. Unmask Halloween, however, and you’ll also find some disconcerting features. Christmas and Easter may be secularized these days, relative to their past, but they remain Christian holidays. People value Halloween, like Valentine’s Day, because they can tell themselves that it’s not merely secularized but actually secular, which is to say, not Christian, Jewish, Hindu or Muslim. The Living Dead But as much as we’d like it to be, Halloween isn’t secular. It is pagan. There’s nothing else to call a set of ceremonies in which people utter magical phrases, flirt with the night and evoke the dead. One of my family’s favorite Halloween props was a hand that moved, as though from the netherworld, when you reached to collect a few pieces of candy corn. Necromancy is a regular part of Halloween games. Zombie masks are one of this year’s top- sellers. As grouchy theologians used to point out, the origin of Halloween was most likely Samhain, an ancient Celtic holiday on which the dead, in some accounts, supposedly returned to visit. Modern Myths There’s a reason for the pull of the pagan. In the U.S., we’ve been vigorously scrubbing our schools and other public spaces of traces of monotheistic religion for many decades now. Such scrubbing leaves a vacuum. The great self-deception of modern life is that nothing will be pulled into that

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vacuum. Half a century ago, the psychologist Carl Jung noted the heightened interest in UFOs, and concluded that the paranormal was “modern myth,” a replacement for religion. Children or adults who today relish every detail of zombie culture or know every bit of wizarding minutiae are seeking something to believe in. That church, mosque and synagogue are so controversial that everyone prefers the paranormal as neutral ground is disconcerting. There’s something unsettling about the education of a child who comfortably enumerates the rules for surviving zombie apocalypse but finds it uncomfortable to enumerate the rules of his grandparents’ faith, if he knows them. Regards, David O'Malley

Completed Bible studies 3/6/2011 – Introduction to the Bible 3/20/2011 – The bible story 6/27/2010 - Prayer Proclamations to bring down Curses from Jesus Christ 1/8/2011 – God exists 1/15/2011 – Moses: The Untold Years 1/29/2011 - The Biblical Timeline: From Adam to 2011 2/12/2011 – Jesus: Going to the 4th level part 1 2/28/2011 - Jesus: Going to the 4th level part 2 3/5/2011 – Indiana Jones vs The Bible: Location of the Ark 4/2/2011 - Accused/Sentenced: The Death of Jesus 4/30/2011 - Passover: from Egypt to Pentecost 5/23/2011 – 2 Calendars of the Bible: 2 confusing or 2 simple 7/30/2011 - Baptism, if you are called 8/14/2011 – The Salvation cycle 8/28/2011 - Fantastic Hookers of the Bible 9/11/2011 - Breaking thru Deception: Gog and Magog 9/26/2011 – Back to Basics: 7 days of Creation 10/12/2011 – Is Life a game? Will you be a winner? 10/31/2011 – Halloween: What’s wrong with this picture?

Future O’Malley Family Bible studies (not in order) - Fukushima Daiichi: Apocalypse or Normal? Another Prayer Proclamation that failed. - Understanding, knowledge and wisdom connection - Abraham sentenced Jesus to death - The fall of Babylon - The Trinity: 1 in 3, 3 in 1 or … 4 by 2 from 1??? - pt 2 - Snake Survival Manual: Their Anatomy & Characteristics - pt 3 - Dress Code Strictly Enforced: What you should & should not be wearing - pt 4 - Spiritual Warfare Academy: repair the breeches & deploy counter offenses - The Law before the Law, Law now and future - Fall of Jerusalem: departure of the King of Kings - Feast days then and now - Psalms 69 – Jesus’ troubled life - 5 stones for 5 giants: Peace in the land at last - Fear of the Lord - To forgive or not to forgive – that is the question - Caesarea Philippi: Portal to the underworld

RSV Ephesians 6:11-18

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of

the devil.

12 For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities,

against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the

spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the

evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the

breastplate of righteousness,

15 and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace;

16 besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the

flaming darts of the evil one.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word

of God.

18 Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end

keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

RSV Isaiah 59:17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation

upon his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in

fury as a mantle.

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RSV Zechariah 2:5 For I will be to her a wall of fire round about, says the Lord, and

I will be the glory within her.'"

RSV Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for

light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

RSV Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have

rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have

forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

RSV 2 Chronicles 19:2 But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and

said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the

Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord.

RSV Exodus 22:18 "You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

RSV Acts 19:19 And a number of those who practiced magic arts brought their books

together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the value of them and

found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.

RSV Mark 5:8-14

8 For he had said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"

9 And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion; for we

are many."

10 And he begged him eagerly not to send them out of the country.

11 Now a great herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside;

12 and they begged him, "Send us to the swine, let us enter them."

13 So he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered the swine;

and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea,

and were drowned in the sea.

14 The herdsmen fled, and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to

see what it was that had happened.

RSV Matthew 4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle

of the temple,

RSV Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all

the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them;

RSV Mark 5:1-4

1 THEY CAME to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.

2 And when he had come out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man with an

unclean spirit,

3 who lived among the tombs; and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain;

4 for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, but the chains he wrenched

apart, and the fetters he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him.

RSV Luke 8:30 Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for

many demons had entered him.

KJV Mark 9:28-29

28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could

not we cast him out?

29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and

fasting.

RSV Daniel 10:13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days;

but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, so I left him there with the

prince of the kingdom of Persia

RSV Daniel 10:20 Then he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? But now I will

return to fight against the prince of Persia; and when I am through with him, lo, the

prince of Greece will come.

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RSV Daniel 2:10-11

10 The Chaldeans answered the king, "There is not a man on earth who can meet the

king's demand; for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician

or enchanter or Chaldean.

11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and none can show it to the king except

the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

RSV Daniel 2:27-28

27 Daniel answered the king, "No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can

show to the king the mystery which the king has asked,

28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King

Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your

head as you lay in bed are these:

LVB Isaiah 8:19-20

19 So why are you trying to find out the future by consulting witches and mediums?

Don't listen to their whisperings and mutterings. Can the living find out the future

from the dead? Why not ask your God?

20 ``Check these witches' words against the Word of God!'' he says. ``If their

messages are different than mine, it is because I have not sent them; for they have no

light or truth in them.

RSV Isaiah 48:3-6

3 "The former things I declared of old, they went forth from my mouth and I made them

known; then suddenly I did them and they came to pass.

4 Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your

forehead brass,

5 I declared them to you from of old, before they came to pass I announced them to

you, lest you should say, 'My idol did them, my graven image and my molten image

commanded them.'

6 "You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time

forth I make you hear new things, hidden things which you have not known.

RSV Psalms 134:2 Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the Lord!

RSV 1 Timothy 2:8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy

hands without anger or quarreling;

RSV Numbers 22:23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a

drawn sword in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the road, and went into the

field; and Balaam struck the ass, to turn her into the road.

RSV Numbers 22:35 And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, "Go with the men; but

only the word which I bid you, that shall you speak." So Balaam went on with the

princes of Balak.

RSV Jeremiah 7:31 And they have built the high place of Topheth, which is in the

valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which

I did not command, nor did it come into my mind.

Sept Is 65:3-5

3 This people are provoking Me continually to My face. They will sacrifice in the

gardens and burn incense on the tiles to demons which have not an existence.

4 They sleep in tombs and in caverns for the purpose of dreaming: they eat swine's

flesh, and the broth of sacrifices; all their vessels are polluted;

5 yet they say, Keep at a distance from me; come not near me, for I am clean. This is

a smoke which causeth My wrath; a fire is kindled by it every day.

RSV Joshua 24:15 And if you be unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you

will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or

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the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will

serve the Lord."

RSV Jeremiah 18:5-10

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me:

6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? says the Lord.

Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

7 If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and

break down and destroy it,

8 and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will

repent of the evil that I intended to do to it.

9 And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and

plant it,

10 and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will repent of

the good which I had intended to do to it.

RSV Joshua 24:20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn

and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good."

RSV Jeremiah 23:19 Behold, the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling

tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked.

RSV Jeremiah 15:2-3

2 And when they ask you, 'Where shall we go?' you shall say to them, 'Thus says the

Lord: "Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence, and those who are for the sword,

to the sword; those who are for famine, to famine, and those who are for captivity, to

captivity."'

3 "I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, says the Lord: the sword to

slay, the dogs to tear, and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour

and destroy.

RSV Jeremiah 15:14 I will make you serve your enemies in a land which you do not

know, for in my anger a fire is kindled which shall burn for ever."

RSV Romans 9:27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the

sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved;